Fiberglass VS. Vinyl Liner Pool Comparison
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You are getting a new pool and it comes down to a new fiberglass pool or a new vinyl liner pool. This particular comparison is one that is harder to come by versus comparisons to concrete pools and that is usually due to the cost difference between vinyl pools and fiberglass pools. Modern vinyl liner and fiberglass pool installations are actually quite comparable. As a pool installation specialist myself I always found it weird that fiberglass pools and concrete pools sold point-for-point against each other. I think that fiberglass pools and vinyl liner pools are very comparable products. A concrete pool is not comparable. It is better, and suitably more expensive...or at least it should be. Vinyl liner and fiberglass pool packages should be priced similarly - at least in my professional opinion so that is your first takeaway here. Are you finding that one pool type or the other is more expensive on the quotes you are receiving?
Pool costs vary wildly area to area, and even company to company so you could experience very different local market pricing. Also, pool estimates include (or don't) a ton of details and provisions, optional extras and additional costs that can add up to vast differences in the price you are receiving. You have to work to create an apples to apples comparison to help understand better the value you are getting with a new pool. For many pool owners, or soon to be pool owners, the pricing will be close enough between fiberglass and vinyl liner options that it will be negligible. So then it comes down to the differences in options that these pools can offer.
Vinyl liner pool advantages - There are many advantages to vinyl liner pools. They are usually the most economical inground pool option. They are available in a lot of different sizes and shapes, with limitations. These pools last a long time, up to 50 years or more and will require only minimal major renovations during this time. Pool liners are robust and puncture-resistant and changing liners every 10 years or so on average is something that is not too expensive, and also provides an opportunity to change the look and color of your pool which many vinyl pool owners enjoy. Vinyl liner pools are DIY friendly as they come in kits and even can include installation instructions for how to put the kit together. Liner pools perform extremely well in cold climate applications.
Fiberglass pool advantages - Fiberglass pools are easily the fastest swimming pool type to install since the entire shell and interior surface comes as a one-piece monolith. Simply add the plumbing and filtration system after you drop the shell into the hole and you are ready to start swimming. Conventionally a concrete pool can be installed in three months with proper curing times for different stages. A vinyl liner pool can easily be installed in three weeks (many experienced builders are a fraction of this time to install) where a fiberglass pool can be installed in as little as three days if you have everything planned ahead and ready to go. Fiberglass pools last a long time and are available in a variety of shapes and size though notably more limited than vinyl or concrete pools. While installation of a fiberglass pool is a technical process and must be done correctly it takes less experience and skill than either vinyl liner or concrete pool installations. This is an advantage for general contractors or landscaping companies looking to start installing pools for the first time.
Fiberglass pools would be an advantage if you plan to have a ledge, edge or baja / lounge area in your pool. While this is a design feature which can be created with a vinyl liner pool I do not prefer to have sun shelf / ledges with a vinyl liner. Liners perform well when there is a lot of water covering the liner to hold it in place. You can use epoxy glue or mechanical means to hold a liner on a ledge but I feel the fiberglass pool simply outperforms the vinyl liner for this design. Similarly I think vinyl liner outperforms fiberglass pools in cold climate areas, or areas with high water tables. If large pools are what you want then again the vinyl liner is going to be better as the fiberglass is limited in width for allow for transportation. If you want to see more pool comparisons you can check out this page where I talk about which is better concrete or fiberglass pools.
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Swimming Pool Steve is an award winning, second generation swimming pool specialist from Ontario Canada and one of the most trusted voices in the swimming pool industry. With over 20,000,000 views on the Swimming Pool Steve YouTube Channel, winner of the Pleatco Pool & Spa Industry Leadership award and author of hundreds of pool and spa articles both online and in print. Steve is committed to helping pool and spa owners as well as pool and spa industry workers learn more about the technical side of building, renovating, repairing and maintaining all types of swimming pools and spas. Follow Swimming Pool Steve on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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